Electrical connector



Dec. 12, 1939. EQA LEN 2,183,179

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 11, 1959 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor ESTIL O.'ALLEN,

m a mu A ttorneys E. O. ALLEN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Dec. "12, 1939.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 11, 1939 E Inventor 35TH, O; ALLEN,

A tiorneys Patented Dec. 12,1939

2,183,179 I ELECTRICAL oomznoroa f Estil Owen Allen, McHenry, Ky., as signor of one- 7 Q half to Oscar Allen, M'cHenry, Ky. t 7 Application April .11, 1939, Serial :No; 267,265 i "1 Claim. (o1. re- 243 My invention relates to improvements in plug and socket connectors for connecting a service line to a wall, flooryor other outlet box.

The principal object of .the invention is toequip a plug and socket inexpensively with efficient means for locking the same together under slight rotation ofthe plug relative to the socket or vice versa.

Another object is to equip a plug and socket for locking under operation as above set forth while at the same time providing a socket with which the usual connection plug of commerce may be used in emergencies.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presently appearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, treated in detail in the succeeding, description and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawings- Figure 1 is a View in sideelevation of a plug constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in edge elevation of said p u i Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of the socket,

Figure 4 is a socket,

Figure 5 is a view in longitudinal section of the socket,

Figure 6 is a view in transverse section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows, and

Figure 7 is a view in perspective illustrating the manner in which the prongs of the plug are inserted between the contact arms of the socket preparatory to turning and locking to said arms.

Referring to the drawings by numerals the plug 1 of my invention is of the usual flat form with a rounded outer end 2 and a substantially rectangular butt end 3. The service line represented at 4 is attached to the-front end 2 in the usual manner which need not be entered into herein and with the leads, not shown, of said line suitably connected to the inner ends of a pair of flat prongs 5 extending parallel from the butt end 3 of said plug upon opposite sides of the transverse center of the latter. 7 may be made of any suitable insulating material and the prongs 5 of any desired metal serving as a conductor of electricity. Adjacent the outer end thereof each prong 5 has formed therein a transversely extending edge slot 6 of keyhole form, said slots, 6 extending inwardly of the prongs 5 from opposite edges thereof. The butt view in end elevation of said The plug l end 3 of the plug I is slightly enlarged and knurled around the sidesthereof as at I for grasping in the usual manner.

The socket 8 is {Ofcup-like form with an open radially flanged front end 9 and a closed beveled .butt end it. The front end 9 may be internally beveled, as at il l toffacilitate insertionof the prongs Eintosaid'socket. The butt end In of the socket '8 "has sleeved thereon the usual threaded annulus 12 of conductive material-for turning said socket into the outlet boxand formingthe usual conductor between said box, not shown, and socket. A core l3 is'provided in the socket 8 axially thereof and secured in said socket by means of a screw bolt l4 threaded through the butt end IU of said socket into said'core and forming the usual second conductor between the outlet box and socket. The core 13 has a laterally flanged outer end l5 spaced slightly inwardly of the socket 8 and provided with a pair of square, diametrically opposite edge notches l5 therein serving as guideways forthe prongs 5 of the plugs 2. The plug it is flattened, as at l6, upon opposite sidesthereof in line with the notches 5 to space said core, beyond the flange l5, from the inner wall of the socket 8. A pair of resilient contact arms I1, l8 are provided in the socket 8 opposite the flat sides l6 of the core l3, respectively, said arms being anchored to the socket 8, as presently described, to normally extend parallel with the inner wall of the socket and terminate at their outer ends short of the front end of said socket. The inner end of contact arm I! is 'of right angle form, as at 19 and extended through the wall of the socket 8 into contact with the annulus I2 whereby said arm is connected to said socket so as to flex outwardly. The inner end of contact arm I8 is also of annular form, as at 20, and extended through the butt end l0-of the socket 8 with the beforementioned screw bolt l4 passing therethrough, whereby said arm H3 is connected to the socket for flexing outwardly also. The outer ends 2| of said arms ll, l8 are slightly divergent and said arms are crimped inwardly, as at 22, adjacent said the plug 2, As best shown in Figures 6 and 7 contact arms I'I, I8 are transversely arcuate.

The manner in which the plug I is attached to the socket 8 will be readily understood. The prongs 5 of the plug I are inserted through the notches I 5' into the socket 8 between the contact arms I! and I8, said arms as the prongs 5 wipe past the crimped portion 22 of the same spreading outwardly and frictionally gripping said prongs. Thus, coincidentally with mating of the butt end 3 of plug I with the front end 9 of socket 8, the slots 6 are aligned with the lugs 23. At this point under slight turning of the plug I in the proper direction, said lugs 23 are caused to enter the slots 6 and thereby lock said plugI and socket 8 together. The described portions of increased width of the contact arms I'I, I8 provide for maintaining engagement of said prongs 5 with said arms in the locked position of the plug and socket without unnecewarily increasing the thickness, of said arms II, I8 throughout any'greater portion of their length. As will'be understood the notches I5 are sulficiently wide to provide for turning of the prongs 5 in the requisite degree. I

If desired the ordinary conventional plug, not shown, which is minus the slots 6 in the prongs, may be inserted between the contact arms I1, I8 and frictionally held in the plug by said arms.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to impart a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modification without departing from the inventive concept and right is herein reserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoined claim.

What I claim is:

In an.electrical connector, a pair of plug and socket members, respectively, adapted to mate in end-to-end engaging relation and relatively rotatable, and locking means for securing said members together operative under said relative rotation of the members and comprising a pair of resilient contact arms in the socket member extending along opposite sides thereof, respectively,

and having free outer ends, a pair of lugs extending from said arms, respectively inwardly of said free ends thereof and laterally spaced from relatively opposite side edges of said members, and a'pair of prongs extending from said plug for insertion between said arms, said prongs having edge slots of keyhole form therein for interlocking with said lugs under relative rotation of the members, said outer ends of the arms being transversely arcuate and of greater width than the remainder of the arms to provide for flush engagement of said prongs and arms when said slots and lugs are interlocked.

ES'I'LL O. ALLEN. 

